The Best Kettles To Buy Online In Australia
Whether you’re looking for a traditional stovetop kettle or an electric kettle with all the bells and whistles, we can help you compare your options in this guide to the best kettles currently available. Taking into account build quality and design, looks and features, we break down kettles by category, so you can find the best rated option to suit your needs.
Best Overall Kettle
KitchenAid Electric Kettle With Temperature Control
- Striking good looks combined with thoughtful design
- Variable temperature control backed by digital temperature display
- Keep warm function keeps water hotter for longer
- Quick and quiet boil
- Loud beep when finished which some customers find annoying
With its variable temperature control, the KitchenAid Electric Kettle With Temperature Control allows you to select the exact temperature you want to heat water to, making it a great option for those who like to drink more delicate teas. Using its digital temperature display, you can keep an eye on the temperature of the water, while its Keep Warm function ensures water keeps its heat for longer, reducing the need to reheat water throughout the day.
Offering a 1.7 litre capacity, the kettle is perfect for day-to-day use, featuring a fast, quiet boil. The only downside some users have pointed to is its finish beep, saying they prefer the previous model’s more sonorous chime. If you like its look – and who wouldn’t? – you can find complementary appliances within KitchenAid’s range.
Best Cheap Kettle
Russell Hobbs York Kettle
- Stylish design in stainless steel and black
- Perfect pour spout ensures single, precise stream with no drips
- Light in the hand, with 1.7 litres capacity
- Water indicator made of plastic, not glass
Keeping it simple, the Russell Hobbs York Kettle does what any kettle should do: it boils water. Sophisticated in stainless steel, it looks great on any benchtop, and also happens to be BPA free, with a concealed element for easy cleaning. Using the kettle day-to-day, you’ll enjoy it’s push-button lid for easy refills, its fast boil, and its satisfyingly perfect pour.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that it features an auto cut-off technology to prevent it boiling dry, its removable, anti-scale washable filter, and its 360° base, ideal for both right and left handed use. Perhaps best of all though, is that lovely low price tag.
Best High-End Kettle
KitchenAid Pro Line Kettle
- Bold styling, cleverly engineered, matches other items within KitchenAid range
- Variable temperature control to heat water to between 50°C and 100°C
- Dual wall construction keeps water hotter for longer
- Easy-to-read temperature gauge
- Cost
While it may look pretty darn eye-catching on your kitchen bench, the KitchenAid Pro Line Kettle has much more to offer than just looks. With its adjustable temperature control and temperature gauge (which functions even when it’s away from the base), this kettle is the ideal companion for tea drinkers who need to heat water to a precise temperature.
In terms of everyday use, the kettle holds up to 1.5 litres, and boils quickly and quietly thanks to its smooth, round design. With its dual wall construction, it remains cool to the touch while keeping water warm inside. This makes it more economical to use when reheating water throughout the day.
Best Smart Kettle
Cuisinart PerfecTemp Cordless Kettle
- Stylish stainless steel body with easy-to-read blue LED controls
- Six pre-set temperatures suitable for different varieties of tea and French press coffee
- Keep Warm function keeps water at temperature for up to 30 minutes
- Memory feature allows it to be lifted off base for two minutes without shutting off
- Hot to the touch
One of the main drawcards of the Cuisinart PerfecTemp Cordless Kettle is its variable temperature control, which allows you to choose from six pre-set temperatures suitable for delicate, white, green, oolong, black and herbal teas, and French press coffee. Each setting has its own temperature and steep time.
With its 1500W element, it offers a fast boil, while its Keep Warm mode keeps water at temperature for up to 30 minutes, so you won’t need to re-boil if you get distracted after turning it on. Another nice feature allows the kettle to continue to function for up to two minutes if you remove it from the base, while its blue LED buttons and display ensure start-up and refills are super easy to control.
Best Retro-Style Kettle
Smeg 50s Retro Style Aesthetic Electric Kettle
- Gorgeous design shows off retro styling in a range of colours
- Quick and quiet boil, featuring shut-off at 100°C to conserve energy
- Easy-to-use controls and simple functionality
- Doesn’t heat to variable temperatures (although there are models that do)
- Exterior can get pretty hot
With an emphasis on design, the Smeg 50s Retro Style Aesthetic Electric Kettle keeps things pretty simple. While it may not work for avid tea drinkers who need to heat water to a precise temperature, it does offer a quick, quiet boil, with the simple flick of a switch.
Aside from looking magnificent, this kettle also offers functional features in its removable limescale filter, its soft open lid, and its 360° swivel base. Also worth mentioning is the fact that it features an auto switch-off at 100°C, helping to keep energy consumption low. It also switches itself off when it doesn’t have any water to prevent dry boiling.
Best Stainless Steel Kettle
Sunbeam Cafe Series Quiet Shield Kettle
- Quiet Shield technology
- Five temperature settings
- Maintains a rolling boil for 5 minutes
- Not as durable as some other kettles
Ideally suited to tea drinkers, the Sunbeam Cafe Series Quiet Shield Kettle offers variable temperature controls, with five settings to choose from. As a nice touch for new parents, the kettle provides an additional 100x5 Sterilise setting, creating a five-minute rolling boil to take the hassle out of sterilising equipment.
Using the kettle, you’ll notice it’s extremely quiet as it boils. It does this by reducing the size of the water bubbles as it reaches temperature. Also worth noting is its larger style base and intuitive controls, which are easy to read and use, displaying both the current temperature of the water, and the estimated time to the end of the cycle.
Best Stovetop Kettle
Le Creuset Traditional Kettle
- Appealing design available in a range of colours
- Solidly constructed from enamelled steel, featuring stay-cool handle
- Suitable for all cooktops, including induction cooktops
- Indistinct whistle
Drawing the eye to its elegant curves, the Le Creuset Traditional Kettle combines French design with solid durability. With its enamel coating, it is easy to keep clean and won’t absorb stains or flavours, and is available in an array of colours to complement any kitchen.
It can be used on any cooktop, and features a wide, extra-strong induction-suitable base for a quick boil, holding a capacity of up to 2.1 litres. Taking the kettle off the heat is easy, thanks to its stay-cool handle, but you may be somewhat disappointed with its finishing ‘burble’, rather than the more distinctive whistle this style of kettle typically offers.
Best Kettle Brands
Smeg
Well known for its exquisite design, Smeg is an Italian home appliance manufacturer based in Guastalla, near Reggio Emilia in the north of the country. As you check out Smeg kettles, you will likely be drawn to its distinctive look first, however, these kettles go just as big on build quality and useability. If you love the retro look, be sure to check out Smeg’s complementary appliances to create a co-ordinated effect in your kitchen.
KitchenAid
Based in the US, KitchenAid has been in the kitchen appliance business for more than a hundred years. As you might expect, this has given the company time to create an expansive range, giving those with a passion for cooking the opportunity to create food they love as they cook from the heart. Check out the KitchenAid kettle range to uncover striking design, superb quality, and excellent functionality.
How to Choose the Right Kettle
Want to compare your options? These questions should make it easier to find your perfect match.
How easy is it to use?
Check for features such as a push-button lid for easy refills, a display that allows you to see how much water’s inside, and easy-to-operate controls. Make sure the kettle can be removed and replaced on the base. A 360° swivel base is a bonus, allowing for left and right handed use. While it’s not essential, a display that shows the current temperature of the water and the progress of the cycle can be handy.
Do you need temperature control?
If all you drink is English breakfast, you probably won’t need to bother with a kettle offering variable temperature controls. On the other hand, if you’re something of a tea connoisseur, being able to adjust the temperature of the boil is something to look out for. Some kettles allow for full adjustment of temperature between 50°C and 100°C, while others feature pre-set temperature settings suited for different types of tea.
How important are looks?
While you obviously don’t want your new kettle to be an eyesore, you will have to decide how important looks are in your search. You may find some kettles prioritise looks over functionality, while others put function over form. To get both in one package may mean you have to pay more. Consider the availability of complementary appliances within the range if that’s important to you.
How much water will you need to boil?
Smaller kettles may suit a smaller kitchen, but you’ll find they also hold much less water. If you like to boil larger amounts, look for a kettle with the capacity to do so. You’ll find most standard size kettles hold 1.5 to 1.7 litres.
What kind of kettle would suit you?
If you want to go old school, consider a stovetop kettle. If you want something more modern, take a look at electric options. Most kettles these days are cordless, but you may find some older and cheaper models that are corded to the power socket.
What features are important to you?
Have a think about what features are most important to you, and prioritise them accordingly. Are you looking for a particularly quick or quiet boil? Do you want a great pour? Do you want lots of functions, such as the ability to keep water warm after it comes to temperature?
How easy is it to clean?
Consider how easy the kettle will be to keep clean, both on the inside and the outside. A kettle with a concealed element, for example, should be easier to clean. A glass kettle, on the other hand, may need more regular cleaning to retain its good looks. Depending on where you live, limescale may also be an issue. If so, look for super easy cleaning and removable filters.
How much do you want to spend?
As with any purchase, what kettle you end up with will be largely determined by how much you’re willing to spend. Weigh up what’s important to you, and look for kettles that match those needs while staying within your budget. Remember, going super cheap may mean you’ll have to replace the kettle and spend more money, sooner rather than later.